The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka CHAPTER X THE LEGISLATURE Parliament 62. 46[(1) There shall be a Parliament which shall consist of two hundred and twenty-five Members elected in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.] Parliament 47 [(2) Unless Parliament is sooner dissolved, every Parliament shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer, and the expiry of the said period of five years shall operate as a dissolution of Parliament.] 63. Except for the purpose of electing the Speaker, no Member shall sit or vote in parliament until he has taken and subscribed the following oath, or made and subscribed the following affirmation, before Parliament:– Official oath or affirmation solemnly declare and affirm “I …… do ––––––––––––––––––––––––– that I will uphold swear and defend the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.” 64. (1) Parliament shall, at its first meeting after a General Election, elect three Members to be respectively the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees (hereinafter referred to as the “Deputy Speaker”) and the Deputy Chairman of Committees thereof. (2) A member holding office as the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker or the Deputy Chairman of Committees shall, unless he earlier resigns his office by a writing under his hand addressed to the President or ceases to be a Member, vacate his office on the dissolution of Parliament. (3) Whenever the office of Speaker, Deputy Speaker or Deputy Chairman of Committees becomes vacant otherwise than as a result of a dissolution of Parliament, Parliament shall at its first meeting after the occurrence of the vacancy elect another Member to be the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker or the Deputy Chairman of Committees, as the case may be. 46 - Substituted by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution Sec. 3. 47 - Substituted by the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution Sec. 15. Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairman of Committees 49